On this day, October 26, 1993, Michael Jackson was awarded a patent for “Anti-Gravity Shoes”. It is a unique shoe design that allowed him to do his signature lean as seen in the “Smooth Criminal” video.
The iconic lean was achieved through a clever stage design and special shoes. The shoes had a slot in the heel, and the stage had pegs that rose at just the right moment to support Jackson’s weight and create the illusion of leaning forward at an extreme angle.
Other inventors listed on the patent are Michael Bush and Dennis Tomkins. It is filed under US patent number 5255452A.